Original scientific paper
Trouble in paradise? Among the last comedy scenes in redfigure: an oinochoe from Issa and its cultural context
Marina Ugarković
orcid.org/0000-0002-1134-7531
; Marina Ugarković Institute of Archaeology Ljudevita Gaja 32 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The Issa collection of the Archaeological Museum
in Split holds a red-figure oinochoe decorated with a
comic scene. This vessel came to light as a grave good
of grave 168, discovered during the 1983 rescue excavation
of the Hellenistic necropolis of Issa, located on
Vlaška njiva in modern Vis. It can be added to the
known body of the so-called phlyax vases, and is the
first and thus far the only such example from Croatia.
After a synthesis of the available and most current
knowledge on the aforementioned group of vessels,
the author presents the results of an in-depth study of the oinochoe from Issa, including the possible significance
of the depicted image, setting it in its cultural
context. The oinochoe features one of the most chronologically
recent red-figure comic scenes, expanding
knowledge of the application of the comic repertoire
in regional red-figure production. This is followed by
further discussion on certain aspects of Issaean cultural
facets that are emerging from the evidence of
mortuary practices, including the possible connection
between comedy and death as indicated by grave depositions
of objects associated with the world of comedy
(a phlyax oinochoe and a comic mask).
Keywords
Issa; Vlaška njiva and Martvilo necropolises; Hellenistic mortuary practices; red-figure pottery; phlyax oinochoe; comic mask; cultural contacts; comedy and death
Hrčak ID:
172976
URI
Publication date:
22.12.2016.
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